Mid-Life Chrysalis
Mid-Life Chrysalis is the eighth episode in the first season of The Venture Brothers. Storyline The team are on the X-1 plane when they are pulled down by a government aircraft, the agents insult Dr. Venture's wirey frame and tell Brock that his license to kill has expired. Dr. Venture immediantly begins having a mid-life crisis, and attempts to reinvigorate his social life; taking on ugly new clothes, a wig, and a fancy new car and invites Brock with him to a strip club. While there, Brock grows depressed over the bartender's taunting of his mullet and his unable to take the man down for it, and Dr. Venture meanwhile meets up and flirts with 'Charlene', actually a disguised Dr. Girlfriend. The two eventually make out for the night but Dr. Venture is injected with a strange substance by Charlene, successfully completing her intended mission. A monkey wrench is thrown into the whole plot when Dr. Venture wishes to continue seeing 'Charlene' and she accepts, causing the Monarch to fear she has begun to develop feelings for their archnemesis. After remisicing on the good times and killings Brock had, the boys attempt to help Brock regain his license and begin a training session for him, getting him into even better shape than he ever was. When the day of the test finally arrives, Brock seemingly does everything wrong: he refuses to use a gun during one test and destroys all cardboard cutouts (including the ones he was supposed to protect), ignores his written test to draw figures of subjects of songs by Led Zeppelin, and the like. Yet he still proved so intimidating and competent, as well as the tester's father's life personally saved by him, that he passes with flying colors anyways (it helps Brock also babysat the tester when he was a kid). Dr. Venture and Charlene continue their romance, but one day Dr. Venture wakes up to find the serum pumped into him has turned him into a caterpillar in all but his face and mind. After failing in attempting to get H.E.L.P.eR. to shoot him to put him out of his misery, the insect's instincts begin to take over and Dr. Venture begins weaving himself a cocoon, ready to become a giant monarch butterfly At that point, however, 'Charlene' comes in to say goodbye...touched by Dr. Venture's supposed last words that she made his last few days the happiest in his life, she subtly injects an antidote into him and leaves. Dr. Venture passes out and wakes up in his normal body, naked, and quickly covers himself once the boys discover him and give a shout of victory. Quotes Dr. Venture: Crap, who am I kidding, my looks are going down faster than an unwanted pregnancy on prom night. (a stripper has begun performing for Brock and Dr. Venture) Dr. Venture: Quick Brock, what do I do? Brock: Give her a fivespot. (Dr. Venture quickly puts the bill into the stripper's thong, but begins fumbling about it for change, which he manages to get) Dr. Venture (under the covers): Those of you with weak stomachs should leave immediantly. (Dean leaves, and Dr. Venture now reveals he has a caterpillar's body) Hank: Holy crap, what happened?! Dr. Venture: Well, apparently this is what I get for years of messing with super-science. Trivia *In some of Brock's flashbacks the followers of the mysterious order have an upside-down anarchy symbol on their cloaks. The moment when Brock also harpoons the enemy holding Dean and Hank is also remiscent of a more famous episode of Jonny Quest. *Jackson Publick was surprised at the amount he managed to get away with in this episode, featuring strippers, supposed anarchists, and an abortion joke. He stated that the little black censor boxes only made the episode funnier.